Washington, D.C. residents hold a vigil outside the White House to mourn the
victims of the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, and demand a debate
on gun control in America.

Demonstrators in Washington, D.C. held a vigil outside the White House on Friday evening, mourning the victims of the deadly school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.

Many of the demonstrators were there to call for stricter gun control laws, saying that such laws are needed to prevent similar shootings from occurring in the future.

"I have been watching the news all day about what happened in Connecticut and I just had to come out and show my support for the families and also say that it is time for us to do something about gun violence," said Alice Chen, a doctor.

Other demonstrators were upset about the availability of assault weapons in the US.

Randall Luttenberg, a resident of Silver Spring, Maryland, said that large guns like assault rifles are only used for one purpose.

"Assault weapons are designed to kill as many people as possible as quickly as possible. They have no place in our society, have no place in our communities and there is no claim of rights or sport or anything that in my mind that justifies that," Mr Luttenberg said.

Twenty-seven people, including 20 schoolchildren, were killed in the shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

Law enforcement sources have identified the gunman as 20-year-old Adam Lanza, who they say killed himself after carrying out the shooting.